"I'm home!" Moms voice rang through the entire house, followed by the front door closing behind her.
Boogie jumped up from his seat on the couch in the living room and engulfed Mom in a hug. I was there to witness it from the kitchen, sitting on stool around the kitchen island doing my homework. My mother hugged him back with her one open arm while the other was occupied holding a bag brown, that I was guessing was takeout.
"Hey, Shug (short for sugar)," She said, patting him on the back gently. Mom looked tired, her eye-bags had seemed darker, and her hair that was once full with brown strands was now peppered with white follicles. But she still knew how to keep that positive energy around Boogie and me, no matter how annoying we got.
Boogie had finally let go and helped her with the brown takeout bag. If I was being honest, Boogie probably liked Mom more than Dad, he had a quite stronger relationship than I probably did with her.
"Where you want me to put this, Ma?" He asked, holding the bag as if it heavy.
She pointed towards the dining room, "In there,"
While Boogie was occupied, Mom went over to the other side of the Island and started washing her hands. "So, how was your day, baby?"
I shrugged, twisting around on kitchen stool,"Could be better."
Mom turned off the water and looked up at me her green eyes boring into mine, "Nothing exciting? Boy drama? Nothing?"
I shrugged once again, leaving out the fight because I didn't care much of it to fill her in.
She rolled her eyes and splashed the water from her wet hands on me.
"Boring," I heard her hum.
I started laughing at her antics. She always knew how to make a person smile even when hers never appeared.
***
"Ooo, egg rolls," Boogie said in awe, and grabbed one with his bare hands from the takeout container.
I cringed, placing a healthy amount of Lo Mein noodles on my paper plate, "Did you even wash your hands?"
He stuck out his tongue at me before chomping down on the egg roll, "No, and you can't tell me what to do cause Moms here now,"
My mom chuckled at our banter, "Okay, you two, relax," I rolled my eyes at him before taking my chopsticks and started eating.
The silence of us eating in the small room consumed us, which was awkward because someone was always talking in the house. I fought between enjoying this nice quiet dinner or to start conversation once again, and of course, my brain chose the dumb answer.
"So Mom, how was work?" I asked, taking another big bite of my noodles.
Mom sighed, "Where do I even start? I had a patient who fractured his fibula, another one who had an allergic reaction, and this boy who had gotten into a fight from his school and received some stitches on his jaw. He's around your age, Evelyn."
I shook my head slowly before I actually processed the information Mom had just expelled to me.
A boy who had gotten into a fight...received stitches to the jaw...around your age.
Oh fuck.
"And out of curiosity, did this boy happened to be named Milo?" I inquired, playing with my chopsticks.
Mom gave me a questioning look, "You know I can't tell you that, Eve. But why would you want to know?"
Boogie spat loudly, some rice falling out of his disgusting mouth, "Ooo, Evelyn has a boyfriend! Evelyn and her boyfriend sitting in a tree-"
I cocked my head ever so slightly, "Shut up, Boogie, I do not have a boyfriend. I was just curious, alright."
Which was semi-true, all this talk about Jaedan and Milo that had circled around the school has gotten to me. It wasn't like I was interested or anything. Psh, why would I be interested with anything that involved my 5th grade bully?
Since my last comment, the dinner table had went quiet, but I could still feel the questioning stares from Mom.
***
I had just finished brushing my teeth when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I told the person they could come in.
Peeping through my conjoined bathroom door, I saw my little brother come through my room he had his favorite Batman pj's on and his stuffed rabbit called Max. Yes, a very uncommon name for a rabbit but he was obsessed with the tv show Max and Ruby when he was little that he had decided to name this one toy, that happened to be favorite, that name.
"What are you doing in my room?" I questioned, getting out of the bathroom and entering my room.
He shrugged and sat on my bed, "My night light won't turn on and I don't wanna bother Mom,"
Boogie had a problem with the dark, he didn't like what he couldn't see and in the dark it was everything. Especially if he was by himself. Mom and Dad found that out through all his bedwetting when he was younger, and they bought him a night light.
"So you decided to come in my room and do what?"
He tightened his hold on Max and whispered, "I want to sleep with you,"
I thought about kicking him out of my room and forcing him to sleep in his room but it was too late for all that right now.
I exhaled and motioned him to get on bed, "Just for tonight, and no pushing or pulling the sheets,"
He smiled at me a little before getting under the sheets and my heart did the little flippy thing when it gets happy.
Ugh, he really knows how to get under my skin.
